June ride this coming Saturday

For our ride this coming Saturday (14th), we'll be heading to somewhere that will be new to many of us and which I think you'll like: the "surf resort" at Lost Shore, near Ratho. This is a lovely place to visit, with its two large lakes and its abundant wildlife and flowers.

Our route

Under Alan's leadership, we'll be heading west out of the city, taking mainly quiet roads with good surfaces. There will be a couple of steep climbs towards the end of the morning, but otherwise fairly easy gradients. The total distance will be about 22 miles.

Lunch arrangements

The Lost Shore is an ideal place for a picnic. There are benches and picnic tables on the terrace as well as informal seating by the side of the lakes, all with nice views over the water and the wider countryside.

The centre also has a spacious bar-cum-restaurant. However, this mainly serves full meals rather than quick snacks and the service is slow, so you might be hard pressed to have lunch in the time available. It is also quite expensive. For those reasons, I suggest you bring your own food for a picnic if at all possible.

There is a separate kiosk where you can pick up a hot drink or a cake. And an ice cream van is sometimes available.

Logistics

We'll gather at our usual spot at the north end of Middle Meadow Walk in time for a 10:30 departure. We'll aim to finish the ride at or near the Meadows some time around the middle of the afternoon.

There is no need to let us know in advance whether or not you plan to attend. If you'd like to join us, just turn up. The ride is of course free and is open to all.

Looking ahead

We'll be having our second Extra of the season on the 28th June, and our next standard ride on the 12th July. I'll post details of those events here in good time.

One other bit of news: an updated edition of the Spokes Edinburgh cycle map has just been published. It should be in the shops by the time you read this. Further details here.